An ex-girlfriend of a Porsche driving ‘playboy’ who fled the scene of a horror crash in which four police officers died sent a message to Victoria Police defending him after she found out about his arrest.
Richard Pusey, 41, was charged on Thursday night for his involvement in the Eastern Freeway tragedy that claimed the lives of four Victoria Police officers on Wednesday – the biggest loss of officer life in Victorian history.
Pusey was allegedly high on drugs and speeding at 140km/h in his Porsche 911 when police pulled him over.
Minutes later, as the four officers and Pusey stood on the side of the road, Mohinder Singh Bajwa lost control of his refrigeration truck and careered into the parked cars, killing the four police officers instantly.
Instead of trying to save lives, Pusey took photos of the scene before fleeing on foot.
A court heard on Friday how Pusey videoed Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor as she lay dying, saying: Amazing. Absolutely amazing. All I wanted to do was go home and eat my sushi and now you have f**ked my f**king car’.
After reading about Pusey’s arrest a former lover Bonnie Wang sent him a Whatsapp message in the hope detectives would have his phone and would see her defending him as a ‘gentle person’.
Bonnie Wang (right) defended her ex-boyfriend Richard Pusey (left) by sending a text message to his phone in the hope Victoria Police officers would see it. Pusey, 41, is charged over his role in the tragic crash that killed four officers on the Eastern Freeway, Melbourne, on Wednesday
Ms Wang who dated Pusey for three years, described him as a ‘gentle person’ and said she was in no doubt he did not mean for the four officers to die. After pulling over Pusey a passing truck lost control and slammed into the parked police cars and his Porsche, killing the four officers
Pusey was allegedly high on drugs and speeding at more than 140km/h along the Eastern Freeway in his Porsche (pictured after the crash) about 4.50pm on Wednesday afternoon
‘I texted Richard’s Whatsapp hoping police will check his messages. It’s just when I know someone so well, reading all the comments and misrepresentation (is hard),’ Ms Wang said.
In her attempted text to police through Richard’s phone, she claimed he had always treated her well.
‘Dear police officer, I am very sorry for what Richard did,’ she wrote.
‘He always take care of me [sic] and be very nice to me.
‘I feel he is a gentle person. I think he is not a bad person. I haven’t contacted him since 2015 when I left Melbourne, but I can promise to you that he has nothing to do with violence or hurt [sic] people.’
Ms Wang dated Pusey for three years between 2011 and 2014, after meeting on RSVP – a relationship website.
Their split came because she wanted kids, but Pusey did not.
Ms Wang claimed her former boyfriend had been heavily affected by the death of his older brother to cancer in 2008, and it impacted on his decision not to want a family.
She revealed he used to be a nurse but a love for fast cars and a fast lifestyle saw him change careers.
This led him down a path to become a mortgage broker, what his current colleagues describing how he lived a ‘playboy lifestyle’.
Pusey (pictured) fled the scene but was arrested on Thursday. He has since been charged with a number of offences, including stopping to render assistance and drug possession
Pusey is expected to face the Melbourne Magistrates on court Friday morning
Police pulled over a speeding driver at 4.50pm on Wednesday, then proceeded to call for backup from highway patrol when they decided to impound the car. By 5.40pm, the refrigeration truck had ploughed into the three cars and four officers, killing them all
‘He was a nurse but then he thinks being a nurse doesn’t make enough money, so he start being (a) mortgage broker,’ Ms Wang said.
‘He liked to save money to invest in more properties and to buy cars.’
Pusey’s alleged actions on Wednesday night were labelled as ‘disgusting’ by Victoria Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton.
‘We found that behaviour frankly disgusting and it’s disgusted everyone,’ he said.
‘We’ll be making sure that when we present this person to court, ultimately, we’ll be making sure the court knows all about that behaviour that we believe took place at the scene.
‘Normally, you should be doing what any sensible person would do and that is to render assistance.
‘To just leave the scene and not render any assistance, it’s appalling behaviour in our view.
‘It’s incredible, I’ve never encountered anything like it.’
Late on Thursday night, Homicide Squad detectives charged Pusey with a number of offences including reckless conduct endangering life, failing to render assistance and drug possession.
In the moments after the crash, Pusey is alleged to have taken disturbing pictures showing the officers’ lifeless bodies, before uploading them to Facebook. Victoria Police commissioner Graham Ashton described the act as ‘frankly disgusting’
Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor (right), 60, had a distinguished 31-year career with Victoria Police, joining in January 1989, while Senior Constable Kevin King (left) was described as ‘an older head with a lot of life experience
Josh Prestney (right) only graduated from the academy in December, and was described as a ‘much-loved’ member of the squad, Constable Glen Humphris (left) only started his police career last year, graduating in March
Four police officers were killed when they were struck by a truck (pictured at the tragic scene) in Melbourne, marking the greatest loss of police life in a single incident in Victoria’s history
Before fleeing the scene, Pusey is alleged to have taken several distressing images of their bodies strewn across the road – posting them on his Facebook page, instead of helping to save their lives.
The photos are too graphic to publish.
It’s believed Pusey wasn’t hurt in the collision because he was urinating at the side of the road at the time.
He was remanded in custody and is set to face the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday morning.
The charge of failing to render assistance carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.
After leaving the scene, Pusey allegedly returned to his home at Fitzroy before going to a Chemist Warehouse store in Collingwood on Thursday morning.
When he began showing the disturbing photos to pharmacy staff they called police, who quickly swooped and arrested him.
It’s believed Pusey wasn’t hurt in the collision because he was urinating at the side of the road at the time
The police car that arrived at the scene (pictured) was crushed by a refrigeration truck – killing four police officers who were standing by the roadside
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton lays a tribute at Boroondara Police Station. Tributes have been flowing across the country, with many iconic buildings lit up with blue light
Truck driver Mohinder Singh Bajwa – who had a ‘medical episode’ and blacked out at the scene – remains under police guard in hospital.
He is yet to be officially interviewed by the homicide squad.
The tragedy began about 4.50pm when a Highway Patrol car pulled Pusey over in an emergency lane of the Eastern Freeway at Kew, in Melbourne’s south-east.
As is standard procedure, the two officers performed a roadside drug test to which he allegedly returned a positive reading.
They then made the decision to impound his Porsche 911 sportscar and called in two more officers for assistance.
Within minutes of the second police car arriving, Mr Bajwa’s refrigerated truck struck the three cars – and the four officers standing on the roadside.
Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Josh Prestney and Constable Glen Humphris were all killed instantly.